The Book of Broken Hearts

Gr 9 Up—Jude "Juju" Hernandez is significantly younger than the "Holy Trinity" of three older sisters in a close-knit Colorado-based Puerto Rican family. In the summer after her senior year of high school, Juju undertakes a project to help her father restore a beloved vintage motorcycle with the hope that this connection to his past will focus his interest and slow the progress of his early onset Alzheimer's disease. The task becomes more difficult when the best mechanic for the job turns out to be Emilio Vargas. She learned from her older sisters to steer clear of all Vargas men—they are notorious heartbreakers. The sisters have sworn to have nothing to do with any of them. But Emilio is a talented mechanic and Jude hires him. This frequently humorous and often touching coming-of-age story has lots of motorcycle details, a few sensual passages, and occasional swearing. By the end, Jude has learned to navigate her love life and sometimes overbearing family. Narrator Zilah Mendoza starts off a bit slowly, but catches the Spanish phrases and inflection throughout the story. She rises to the challenge of voicing a wide range of ages and a cheerful dog, Pancake. Suggest this to audiobook fans of thoughtful teen romance.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX